Association between human leukocyte antigen class II (HLA-DRB and -DQB) alleles and outcome of exposure to : a cross-sectional study in Nairobi, Kenya.

Introduction: human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II alleles play an important role in the early immune response to tuberculosis (TB) by presenting antigenic peptides to CD4+ T cells, hence polymorphisms in those genes can influence the efficiency of the immune response to infection and progression to active disease.

Methods: an analytical cross-sectional study of adult pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients at Mbagathi County Hospital, Nairobi and their HHCs. Sociodemographic data were captured on questionnaires and clinical data extracted from patient files.

Latent tuberculosis among household contacts of pulmonary tuberculosis cases in Nairobi, Kenya.

Introduction: Household Contacts (HHCs) of Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB) patients have a higher risk of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). However, its prevalence and risk factors among adults living with PTB patients are poorly documented in Kenya.

Objective: to determine the prevalence and risk factors for LTBI among adult HHCs of PTB patients in Kenya.

Conditional cash transfers to retain rural Kenyan women in the continuum of care during pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period: protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Background: Antenatal care (ANC), facility delivery and postnatal care (PNC) are proven to reduce maternal and child mortality and morbidity in high-burden settings. However, few pregnant rural women use these services sufficiently. This study aims to assess the impact, cost-effectiveness and scalability of conditional cash transfers to promote increased contact between pregnant women or women who have recently given birth and the formal healthcare system in Kenya.

Prevalence of Drug Resistance Mycobacterium Tuberculosis among Patients Seen in Coast Provincial General Hospital, Mombasa, Kenya.

Background: Although prevention and control of spread of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis strains is a global challenge, there is paucity of data on the prevalence of DR-TB in patients diagnosed with TB in referral hospitals in Kenya. The present study assessed patients' characteristics and prevalence of drug resistant TB in sputa smear positive TB patients presenting to Coast Provincial General Hospital (CPGH) in Mombasa, Kenya.

Methods: Drug resistance was evaluated in 258 randomly selected sputa smear TB positive cases between the periods of November 2011 to February 2012 at the CPGH-Mombasa.

ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY OF ORGANISMS CAUSING URINARY TRACT INFECTION IN PATIENTS PRESENTING AT KENYATTA NATIONAL HOSPITAL, NAIROBI.

Background: Changes in susceptibility patterns of bacterial pathogens isolated from urinary tract infections emphasize the need for regional surveillance to generate information that can be used in management of patients. Knowledge on the current status of antimicrobial resistance in uropathogens, and the prevalence of expanding spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) in the isolates will guide policy formulations and encourage prudent use of antimicrobials.

Objective: Identify bacterial pathogens causing UTI and determine the association between the pathogens isolated from patients attending KNH.

MORTALITY AFTER CLINICAL MANAGEMENT OF AIDS-ASSOCIATED CRYPTOCOCCAL MENINGITIS IN KENYA.

Background: Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is an increasingly prevalent infection among HIV/AIDS patients and is becoming a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Africa. The short-term prognosis and management of patients with CM may be improved by identifying factors leading to mortality in patients with CM.

Objective: To assess the clinical management and mortality associated with cryptococcal meningitis (CM) in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in Kenya.

Antifungal susceptibilities of Cryptococcus neoformans cerebrospinal fluid isolates from AIDS patients in Kenya.

Poor susceptibility of Cryptococcus neoformans to fluconazole (FLC) is a matter of concern among clinicians in Africa. The emergence of resistance to FLC was recently reported in Kenya, but it is not known whether it is widespread. Thus, there is need for more antifungal drug susceptibility studies in Kenya.

The prevalence, clinical features, risk factors and outcome associated with cryptococcal meningitis in HIV positive patients in Kenya.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence, clinical features, risk factors and outcomes associated with cryptococcal meningitis (CM) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive patients at two referral hospitals in Nairobi, Kenya.

Design: Prospective, observational study.

Setting: Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) and Mbagathi District Hospital (MDH), Nairobi, Kenya.

C. elegans Dynamin mediates the signaling of phagocytic receptor CED-1 for the engulfment and degradation of apoptotic cells.

Dynamins are large GTPases that act in multiple vesicular trafficking events. We identified 14 loss-of-function alleles of the C. elegans dynamin gene, dyn-1, that are defective in the removal of apoptotic cells.

Spatial clustering and epidemiological aspects of visceral leishmaniasis in two endemic villages, Baringo District, Kenya.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) seroprevalence in Kenya is unknown because of the lack of a practical and accurate diagnostic test or surveillance system. A novel serological assay was used to estimate the seroprevalence of Leishmania-specific antibodies, and Global Information System and spatial clustering techniques were applied to study the presence of spatial clusters in Parkarin and Loboi villages in Baringo District in 2001. VL seroprevalences were 52.